Building a jukebox from an old desktop
A retired machine, a sound card and one free evening are enough to put every disc you own behind a single remote.
What you need
Any processor from the last four years will do. Spend the money on disk space instead: a full shelf of discs needs about twenty gigabytes.
- A desktop with a spare drive bay
- A sound card with line out
- A network card or a long cable
Setting it up
Copy the discs one shelf at a time and let the player name the tracks. Keep the machine out of sight: it only needs power, the network and a cable to the amplifier.
Checking the output
Start the player from a prompt with chronoskin --test-tone. A steady tone on both speakers means the card is set up.